Where chocolate grows and wild bees sleep

The Children’s University celebrates its birthday. Thousands of workshops and courses have made countless children’s hearts beat faster over the past 20 years, answered many questions, aroused interest and opened doors. In Linz alone, 180 workshops will take place this year from July 10th to 13th, ranging from chemistry to philosophy, from adventures in nature to experiments in the laboratory. The offer is spread over the entire city area, seven universities and colleges as well as over 30 other research and educational institutions are involved, the Ursulinenhof is the central campus.

Save wild bees

“I’ve never experienced a child not being taken along,” says Elisabeth Pfeifer. She sets off on a “rescue mission” on the Pöstlingberg with children between the ages of five and seven. It’s about wild bees, whose habitats are getting smaller and smaller. “Although the children usually know a lot about honey bees, they are not yet that familiar with wild bees,” says Pfeifer in the OÖN interview. The varied workshop is not only about creating awareness, but also about becoming active yourself. The children make a nesting aid that they can take home and place on the window sill or balcony. The mason bees will be happy.

chocolate and more

Gudrun Fuss has a home game. The ecologist works at the natural history station of the city of Linz and can draw on plenty in the botanical garden. In her workshop she addresses the question of where chocolate and other things actually come from. “We have a lot of exotic and tropical plants that you can see in person,” says Fuss. It goes without saying that it is not just about looking at the cocoa plant, but also tasting the chocolate. Although most children prefer milk chocolate, there are already gourmets among the little ones who appreciate “real” chocolate with a high cocoa content . “The workshop is particularly great fun because the enthusiasm and curiosity of the very small children is still so great,” says Fuss.

Secrets of the Magnetic Force

Mechatronics engineer Florian Poltschak, head of the JKU Hoerbiger Research Institute for Smart Actuators, scores with hands-on physics. For example, he explores the functions of electric motors with the children or experiments with magnetic force. “A child once said that if physics lessons were like this, it would be much cooler,” Poltschak recalls. You can really get kids excited about that.

tour of distress

Young Caritas offers an unusual workshop: During the “Tour of Distress” children from the age of twelve get an insight into the life of people on the street. The workshop wants to break down boundaries and develop a better awareness of people in need. There are still a few places available.

Otherwise, the KinderUni workshops are almost fully booked for this year. If you’re quick, you might be able to free the Danube from plastic (PlasticFreeDanube), take your first steps into improv theater (How you move the world) or experiment with new “moves” (Breakdance & Urban Styles).

Information about the workshops and registration options can be found at kinderuni-ooe.at